Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue.

Zhongli and Azhdaha's private conversation continued, while Gu Sanqiu, en route back to Liyue aboard a current of elemental energy, stroked his chin, deep in thought.

Today's revelations had been overwhelming.

"So, most of the main and branch family members sacrificed their lives to help Lord Azhdaha regain his sanity. Unless something else happened after the Chasm incident, what could've caused such catastrophic losses, even with my family's resources?"

Gu Sanqiu racked his brain, recalling the timeline he'd skimmed over in passing.

After the Lord of Vishaps, it didn't seem like Liyue experienced any major disasters.

"Then what could it have been? It's not like they tried to develop Guyun Stone Forest and got wiped out by the folks there, right? That kind of explanation doesn't hold water."

"Still, I've managed to piece together part of the Gu family's history."

There were two pivotal figures: Gu Shen and Gu Sheng.

The history of the Incense Bearers began with Gu Shen, a master of the Xuan Sect and said to be a peerless warrior who fought alongside the Geo Archon, establishing the Gu family's foundational legacy.

Gu Sheng, on the other hand, was much closer to the present. He lived during the Chasm era, serving as the family head when the branch family disappeared.

"Wait a second… something doesn't add up."

Gu Sanqiu frowned. "If Gu Sheng was truly a master strategist, shouldn't he have noticed something was wrong with Lord Azhdaha's situation? Why let so many of the main and branch family members perish?"

"It doesn't make sense—unless Gu Sheng had something even more important to accomplish, like the old man."

The "old man" definitely knew more about a certain golden-haired traveler than he let on. But whenever someone asked, he'd either feign ignorance or hide behind the excuse of contracts, refusing to divulge a single detail.

For straightforward individuals, as long as they trusted you, they wouldn't hide much. But people with more scheming minds didn't operate that way.

Judging by Azhdaha's descriptions, Gu Sheng was definitely one of the latter.

"Tch, whatever. When Osial gets his face smashed in, maybe I can get some answers. If I'm lucky, something useful might come up."

The golden light faded, and an Anemo current immediately caught him, ensuring he didn't plummet from the sky.

"Oh, I've reached Yuehai Pavilion. Forget it—I'll just head straight to the Jade Chamber."

Ascending once more, Gu Sanqiu spotted the deck of the Jade Chamber, where four reclining chairs were arranged under parasols. Each chair had a spread of fruit, drinks, and every other imaginable comfort.

…

"What are you all doing?"

"You're back?"

Ningguang lowered her sunglasses slightly, her crimson eyes sparkling with amusement as she looked at Gu Sanqiu.

"Thanks to you, we finally have a day to relax. Later, we've even arranged for some skincare masters to come by for treatments."

What?

Gu Sanqiu wasn't buying it. "Since when does the Tianquan Star have free days? Don't try to fool me, sis."

Bai Xiao covered her mouth, chuckling from the side. "Normally, there wouldn't be. But thanks to your hard work the other night, now there is. Much appreciated!"

Gu Sanqiu fell silent and turned to Ningguang.

"So that giant stack of documents was the entire workload for this period?"

"More or less."

Ningguang gestured for him to come over and picked up an apple slice, holding it to his mouth.

"Those were the complicated tasks. After you finished them, there've only been minor issues to sort out. Excellent work—here, have an apple as a reward."

"I knew it! That pile was way too excessive…"

Gu Sanqiu sat down beside Ningguang's reclining chair. He tilted his head up to gaze at the sun before glancing at the parasol's material.

Ningguang flicked his forehead. "Stop thinking weird thoughts. If this parasol gets burned by the sun, I'll hold you accountable."

"So you are the bug in my brain, huh, sis?"

"Repeat that?"

Ningguang smiled sweetly as she reached out and pinched Gu Sanqiu's neck.

"Ningguang, my dear sister, my goddess!"

"Good. Now behave."

She leaned back into her chair. "So, what were you doing at Jueyun Karst?"

Gu Sanqiu spread his hands. "So you were keeping tabs on me, weren't you?"

"How could I? I simply deduced your destination from the direction you flew."

"Alright, fine. I went to Jueyun Karst to consult a certain relic of an era. I wanted to dig up my family's genealogy and figure some things out."

Ningguang raised an eyebrow. "That 'relic'?"

"Yes, and the trip was quite fruitful."

…

"'Divine' and 'Sacred.' Ha, those are certainly imposing titles. Anyone who dares call themselves that is rarely simple."

Ningguang smirked. "Did that senior say your strategic skills were no match for your ancestor, Gu Sheng?"

Gu Sanqiu nodded. "I went there to ask a few questions and ended up getting thoroughly dismissed."

"Hahaha!"

Ningguang burst into laughter. "Don't sell yourself short. Strategy is something you improve with practice, but creating something entirely new is much harder."

"In the past, when theories were vague and untested, the first person to master them was truly remarkable. But as civilization advances, it becomes harder for later generations to break free from the frameworks established by their predecessors."

"If you can shatter those confines in this era and pioneer a new domain, your achievements wouldn't pale in comparison to the trailblazer's."

Ningguang patted his head. "Though you don't seem to enjoy using your brain much, don't worry—there's no way my little brother is a fool. After all, a fool couldn't handle those documents, right?"

"Sounds like a compliment, but why does it feel a little off…"

"Don't overthink it. We're the ones living in this era. The future is ours to shape."

Ningguang smiled. "No matter what your ancestors were planning, it has nothing to do with you. Just focus on what you need to do."

"You're right."

Whether Gu Sheng and the old man were collaborating on some grand investigation, or the Gu family was simply courting disaster, it had nothing to do with an Incense Bearer like him, who knew none of the details.

He could just laze around and do as he pleased (crossed out).

"Speaking of which, there's something more pressing that you need to take care of right now."

Ningguang's smile turned sly.

"It's not some impossible mission, is it? Sis, can't you give me some time to relax?"

"Of course not. You know how much I dote on my dear brother~"

Gu Sanqiu sighed. "Alright, what is it? Lay it on me."

"You need to leave. The skincare masters coming later are all women. It wouldn't be appropriate for you to hang around."

…

Gu Sanqiu's expression instantly turned to one of mock despair.

"Sis, you've changed. You used to want me to stay in the Jade Chamber forever, but now you can't wait to kick me out."

Ningguang rolled her eyes at him. "Get lost."

"…Fine."

---

T/N: heh

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